Vapor deposition method and vapor deposition apparatus

Abstract

The present invention (i) uses a mask unit ( 80 ) including: a shadow mask ( 81 ) that has an opening ( 82 ) and that is smaller in area than a vapor deposition region ( 210 ) of a film formation substrate ( 200 ) and; a vapor deposition source ( 85 ) that has a emission hole ( 86 ) for emitting a vapor deposition particle, the emission hole ( 86 ) being provided so as to face the shadow mask ( 81 ), the shadow mask ( 81 ) and the vapor deposition source ( 85 ) being fixed in position relative to each other, (ii) adjusts an amount of a void between the shadow mask ( 81 ) and the film formation substrate ( 200 ), (iii) moves at least a first one of the mask unit ( 80 ) and the film formation substrate ( 200 ) relative to a second one thereof while uniformly maintaining the amount of the void between the mask unit ( 80 ) and the film formation substrate ( 200 ), and (iv) sequentially deposit the vapor deposition particle onto the vapor deposition region ( 210 ) through the opening ( 82 ) of the shadow mask ( 81 ). This makes it possible to form a high-resolution vapor deposition pattern on a large-sized substrate.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A vapor deposition device for forming, on a film formation substrate, a film having a predetermined pattern,
 the vapor deposition device comprising: 
 a mask unit provided so as to face the film formation substrate and so as to include:
 a vapor deposition mask that has an opening and that is smaller in area than a vapor deposition region of the film formation substrate, wherein the vapor deposition mask includes, outside the opening of the vapor deposition mask, an alignment marker for use in the alignment between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate; and 
 a vapor deposition source that has an emission hole for emitting a vapor deposition particle, the emission hole being provided so as to face the vapor deposition mask, 
 
 the vapor deposition mask and the vapor deposition source being fixed in position relative to each other; 
 a motor driver configured to move, by driving a motor, at least a first one of the mask unit and the film formation substrate relative to a second one thereof while maintaining a uniform void between the mask unit and the film formation substrate, 
 the mask unit further including a tension mechanism for applying tension to the vapor deposition mask in either an obliquely upward direction or an obliquely downward direction by using, as a fulcrum, an abutting member abutting either an upper surface or lower surface of the vapor deposition mask; 
 alignment observing means provided so as to be adjacent to the film formation substrate and the vapor deposition mask and so as to be fixed in position relative to the vapor deposition mask; and 
 an adjusting apparatus configured to adjust respective positions of the film formation substrate and the vapor deposition mask relative to each other, wherein the adjusting apparatus includes the motor driver and the tension mechanism, 
 wherein the adjusting apparatus further includes (i) a void sensor configured to measure an amount of a void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate and (ii) an actuator configured to move, along an axis direction that connects the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate and that is perpendicular to the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate, at least one of (a) a portion of the mask unit which portion includes at least the vapor deposition mask or an entirety of the mask unit and (b) the film formation substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one void sensor for measuring an amount of a void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate. 
 
     
     
       3. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an actuator for adjusting an amount of a void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate by moving, along an axis direction that connects the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate and that is perpendicular to the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate, at least one of (a) a portion of the mask unit which portion includes at least the vapor deposition mask or an entirety of the mask unit and (b) the film formation substrate. 
 
     
     
       4. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a void difference amount computing section for calculating an amount of a difference between (i) the void amount measured by the at least one void sensor and (ii) a preset amount of the void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate; 
 a void difference correction amount deriving section for deriving, from the void difference amount calculated by the void difference amount computing section, a correction value for overcoming the difference; and 
 an actuator drive control section for, on a basis of a void difference correction amount derived by the void difference correction amount deriving section, moving the actuator along the axis direction so that the void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate is uniform. 
 
     
     
       5. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , wherein the mask unit includes an abutting member which (i) abuts either a top surface or lower surface of the vapor deposition mask to hold the vapor deposition mask horizontally and (ii) functions as a fulcrum configured to correct parallelism between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate. 
     
     
       6. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , wherein the alignment marker is provided in a region of the vapor deposition mask which faces a region of the film formation substrate other than the vapor deposition region for the vapor deposition particle emitted from the vapor deposition source. 
     
     
       7. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 6 , wherein the film formation substrate includes, at a position therein which position lies outside the vapor deposition region along a direction in which at least the first one of the mask unit and the film formation substrate is moved relative to the second one thereof, an alignment marker for use in alignment between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate, and
 the alignment marker of the vapor deposition mask is provided at an end section thereof which end section first meets the alignment marker of the film formation substrate while at least the first one of the mask unit and the film formation substrate is moved relative to the second one thereof. 
 
     
     
       8. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , wherein the alignment marker is an alignment opening. 
     
     
       9. The vapor deposition device according to  claim 1 , wherein the void sensor is an optical void sensor configured to measure the amount of the void between the vapor deposition mask and the film formation substrate by means of transmission through the film formation substrate.